Trolley-pole-controlling means.



o. E. cozzBNs. TROLLEY POLE UONTROLLING MEANS. APPLICATION FILED DEO. 16, 1908.

928,306. Y Patented July 20, 1909.

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LUN ITED STAES PATENT OFFICE.

@HARLEY E. COZZENS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF TO HARRY GROAT, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

' IROLLEY-POLE-GONTROLLING MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2o, 1909.

Application filed December 16, 1908. Serial No. 467,826.

.T0 all whom it 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, @HARLEY E. CozznNs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and usclul Trolley-Pole-Controlling Means; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speci'lication.

My invention relates to stands or bases for trolley-poles, and more particularly to means for controlling the raising and lowering movements of trolley-poles for electric railways.

The object of my invention is the provision of simple, eiiicient and easily operated means for pneumatically controlling the movements of a trolley-pole and maintaining a predetermined pressure of the trolleywheel on the trolley-wire without the use of the tension springs heretofore employed for such purpose.

A further object of my invention is the provision in an apparatus of the class described, of simple and eiiicient means, which, when the trolley-wheel leaves the trolleywire and the trolley-pole is elevated in consequence, is automatically actuated to shut off the air supply influencing the upward movement of the pole, whereby to permit the pole to lower by gravity or otherwise from its elevated position, thus preventing` the upper end of the pole from striking more than one cross or guy wire should the car continue to move after the wheel leaves the trolley wire.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while in its broader aspect it may be embodied in diiferent forms of apparatus, a preferred form is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trolley-pole stand embodying the features of my invention with portions in central vertical section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged central horizontal section ofthe valve mechanism of my invention. Fig. 3 is an enlarged central vertical section of a portion of the stand with the air inlet valve removed, and Fig. 4 is a rear end elevation of the stand shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a pedestal-bearing or base support, which is intended to be secured to the top of a car in the usual or any suitable manner, and revolubly supports the horizontal cylinder' 2. This cylinder is provided with the basesocket 3, which telescopes over the end of the pedestal 1 and carries a plurality of rollers 4 for working in a complemental groove 5 provided around such pedestal. A piston 6 is mounted in the cylinder 2 and has its rear end slotted, as shown at '7, to receive the lower angled end Sa of a trolley-pole socket or barrel 8. This socket is fulcrumed to a pin 9, which has its ends mounted in bosses 10 rising from the cylinder 2 near its rear end and has its angled end 23L1 projected through a slot 2EL in the cylinder and slotted, as at 8', to receive a pin 11 carried by the piston, thus adapting a reciprocation of the piston to impart oscillatory movements to the polesocket S and attached pole.

Air or other operating lfluid under pressure is admitted to the closed or forward end of the cylinder 2 from a member 12, which is tapped into such end of the cylinder and in which the automatic controlling mechanism is located, said member being in communication with a source of fluid supply under pressure through the tube or pipe 13, which preferably leads to the motormans vestibule of the car and is provided with a shut-off valve (not shown), to enable the supply to be shut oil' from the member 12 when desired. The member 12 is provided with a cylinder 14 in which a piston 15 is mounted, the rod 16 ol such piston projecting through one end of the cylinder and carrying an adjustable stop or nut 17 at its outer' end, whereby the movement of the piston in one direction is limited. A coiled compressionspring 18 encircles the rod 16 with its opposite end thrusts against the piston and cylinder end, as shown. The supply tube 13 connects with a nipple 19 on the member 12, which nip le has its passage opening laterally into t e end of the cylinder 14 opposed to the end through which the piston-rod projects and is closed by a partition 20 therein except for the ports 21 provided therethrough. Seating against the outer side of the partition 2O is a disk-valve 22, having ports 23 therethrough which normally register with the ports 21 in the partition. The stem 211 of the valve 22 projects through rie `the partition and an axial extension thereof and into the cylinder' 14 in advance of the piston 15, and carries a crank-arm 25 at its free end, which is connected by a link 26 to a lug projecting from the contiguous face of the piston 15, thus causing a movement of the piston to rock the valveand either' cover' or uncoverl the ports 21. The connection between the piston and valve is such that the por'ts 21 and 23 are in register when the piston is in its normal position and are relatively moved out of register' when the piston is moved back against the tension of the spring 18.

Communication is had between the inner or contiguous ends of the cylinders 2 and 14 through a passage 27 in the member 12. Mounted in the member 12 in position to interce t this passage is a plug-valve 28, whie i has a passage adapted to register with the passage 27 to open communication therethrough when the valve is turned in proper position for such purpose, as shown in Figs. l1, 2 and The passage 27 on the side of the valve contiguous to the cylinder 14 is narrow transversely of the valve but broad or elongated longitudinally thereof, and the passage through the valve at such side is of corresponding size to enable a slight turning of the valve to close the communication between the two cylinders. The opposite side, however, of the valve passage 2 is broadened, as shown at 29, to enable the valve, when turned sufficiently to close the passage 27 to the cylinder' 14, to open communication between the cylinder 2 and air exhaust-port 30 to the atmosphere, thus permitting an escape of fluid from the cylinder 2 to permit a lowering of the trolley-pole.

In order to effect an automatic closing of the passage between the two cylinders and an opening of the exhaust-port 30 toy permit a lowering of the trolley-pole should its wheel leave the trolley-wire and the pole fly up in consequence, 1 attach an arm 31 to one end of the plug-valve 28 and connect the outer end of such arm by a connectingrod 32 with the outer end of an arm 33, which is fixed to a rock-shaft 34 that is j ournaled transversely of the rear end of the cylinder 2 in bearings 35 projecting therefrom. r1`his shaft carries the two arms 36 and 37 intermediate its bearings, the former projecting downwardly and slightly forwardly from the shaft in position to be engaged by an alining lug 38 on the roar end of the piston 6 at a predetermined point in its rearward movement to effect a rocking of the shaft, and the latter' arm 37 projecting horizontally from. the shaft in position to be engaged by the spur 39 on the pole-socket 8 when at a predetermined point in its lowering movement, thus imparting an opposite rocking movement to the shaft 35 to that imparted thereto by the contact of the lug 38 with the arm 36.

40 designates an exhaust-port in the casing of the cylinder 14, and is normally closed by the piston 15 and is only uncovered to permit an escape of fluid from the cylinder 14 when the piston is moved outwardly against the tension of the spring 18.

The operation of the invention is as follows The valve in the supply-pipe 13 being open, the actuating fluid enters the cylinder 14'through the normally registering ports 21 and 23 in the partition 2O and valve 22, respectively, located in the passage 19, and thence flows through the passage 2'7 and valve 28 into the cylinder 2, thus forcing the piston 6 to the rear and effecting an elevation of the pole-socket 8 and attached trolley-pole. When the fluid admitted to the cylinders 2-14 has attained a predetermined pressure, for instance, forty pounds, which is sufficient to maintain the trolleywheel in working contact with the trolleywire, the tension of the spring 18 is overcome and the piston 15 forced outwardly a sulficient distance to uncover the exhaust port 4() to permit fluid to escape to the atmosphere. As the piston moves outwardly the arm 25 and attached valve 22 are roc-lied sufficiently to move the ports 23 in the latter out ol' register with' the ports 21 in the partition 20, thus closing communication between the supply-pipe and cylinder' 14. VJhon the pressure in the cylinders has been reduced below forty pounds by the. exhaust the piston 15, under the influence of the spring, is caused to assume its normal position, th'us closing the exhaust port 4() and rocking the valve to move the ports 21-23 into register. 1t is thus seen that the pressure in the cylinders 2-14 is constantly maintained at approximately forty pounds or at any other' pressure for which the spring 18 is tensioned and which is less than the normal ressure in the supply-pipe. Should the trol ey-wheel leave the trolley-wire the pole will fly up under the influence of the fluid pressure on the piston 6 and the piston will move rearwardly a sufficient distance for the lug 38 on its end to strike and rock the arm 36 carried by the shaft 34. The rocking of the shaft 34 effects a sufficient turning of the plug-valve 28, through the medium of the arms 31-33 and connectingrod 32, to close the communication between the cylinders 2-14 and open the exhaustport 30 to the atrnos] here, thus relieving the fluid pressure on the piston 6 and permitting it to move forward in the cyliniiler and the trolley-pole to lower' under the gravity action ol' the latter. When the pole is near the limit of its lowering movement the spur 39 on the socket 8 strikes the arm 37 on the shaft 34 to effect a reverse movement of the shaft and attached parts to that imparted to them by the piston 6 en its rearward movement and a consequent turning of the valve 28 to open the passage 27 between the two cylirulers. The motorman, on perceiving that the trolley-wheel has left the wire, closes the valve (not shown) controlling the admission of fluid to the pipe 13, thus preventing the pole from rising until such valve has again been opened to permit the admission of fluid to the trolley-stand. The automatic shutting oll' of the air supply to the cylinder 2 and the lowering of' the trolley-pole prevents the pole from strikingmore than one cross-wire after its wheel leaves the trolley-wire, as the lowering thereof takes place before a second wire is reached.

I desire it understood that my invention is not limited to the specific arrangement and construction of parts shown and described, except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

I'Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a cylinder, a piston working therein, a trolley-pole having its raising movements actuated by the movement of said piston, a chambered memberliaving its chamber in communication with one end of the cylinder, said member being adapted for communication with a source of fluid supply, a valve for controlling the admission of fluid to said member, and means within said member movable by fluid when at a predetermined pressure within said chamber whereby to close said controlling valve.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a cylinder, a piston working therein, a trolley-pole movable by movements of said piston, a chambered member having its chamber in communication with one end of said cylinder, said chamber being adapted for communication with a source of fluid supply, a valve controlling the admission oi fluid to said member', and means spring-actuated in one direction and fluidactuated in the other direction for closing said controlling valve when the fluid within said chamber' reaches a predetermined pressure.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a cylinder, a piston working therein, a trolley-pole having its raising movements actuated by a movement of said piston, a chambered member having its member in communication with one end of the cylinder, said. member being adapted for connection with a source of fluid under pressure, and having an exhaust port, a valve controlling the admission of fluid to said member, a piston movable in said member and normally covering said exhaust port, said piston having its movements actuated in one direction by the fluid within said member when such fluid reaches a predetermined pressure, and connection between said piston and valve whereby a movement ofthe piston effects a closing ofthe valve.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a cylinder, a piston working therein, a trolley-pole having its raising movements actuated by a movement of said piston, a chambered member having its chamber in communication with one end of' said cylinder and with a source of fluid under pressure, a valve movable to open or close the communication between said chamber, a cylinder' and valve controlling the admission of fluid to said member and means within the chamber and actuated by fluid pressure to close said latter valve when the fluid reaches predetermined pressure within said cham- 5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a cylinder, a piston working therein, a trolley-pole having its raising movements actuated by movement of said piston, a chambered member having communication with one end of said cylinder and with a source of fluid under pressure, a valve movable to open communication between said chamber and cylinder or to close such communication and open communication between said cylinder' and the atmosphere, means actuated at predetermined points in the movement of said pole for effecting a movement of said valve to open or close the communication between said chamber and cylinder, a valve for controlling the admission of fluid to said chamber, a piston disposed within the chamber and actuated in one direction by fluid pressure within the cylinder when at a predetermined pressure to close said latter valve, and a spring acting on said piston in opposition to the fluid pressure.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a horizontally revoluble cylinder having communication at one end with a source of fluid under pressure, a piston working therein, a trolley-pole having its raising movements actuated by a movement of said piston, and means for automatically maintaining the fluid admitted to the cylinder at a pressure which is below the pressure ofthe fluid at its source.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a cylinder, a piston working therein, a trolley-pole having its raising movements actuated by ak movement ,of said piston, a second cylinder in communication with said first cylinder and also with a source of fluid under inessure, a piston mounted in said second cylinder, means normally maintaining said second piston in one position relative to i'ts cylinder, a valve controlling the admission of fluid to said second cylinder from the source of supply, and means connecting said second cylinder and valve whereby the valve is cpened when the piston is in its normal position and is closed by a movement of the piston from its normal position.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a pedestal, a cylinder revolubly carried by said pedestal and having communication at one end with a source of fluid under pressure, a piston working in said cylinder', a trolleypole carried by the cylinder and having' its raising movements actuated by a movement of the piston in one direction, a valve disposed intermediate the cylinder and source of Huid-supply, and means acted on by the fluid for closing the valve and permitting an exhaust from the cylinder when the fluid in the cylinder has attained a predetermined pressure.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a cylinder having communication with a source of fluid-supply under pressure, a piston working therein, a trolley-pole having its raising movements actuated by a movement of said piston in one direction under the influence of the fluid in the cylinder, a valve adapted to open and close the communication between the fluidsupply and the cylinder, rocker means adapted to be rocked by the piston at a predetermined point in its movement, means connec-ting said rocker means and valve whereby the valve is closed when said rocker means is rocked by the piston, and means for rocking said rocker means to open said valve when the pole has reached a predetermined point in its lowering movement.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto signed my naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

@HARLEY E. COZZENS. litnesscs C. W. OWEN, H. A. GRoAT. 

